[b]Life has become a grim exercise in survival for thousands of families in the Syrian town of Madaya, where the consequences of a six-month siege have been exacerbated by the onset of winter.

Harrowing images of emaciated bodies have been widely distributed, showing wide-eyed babies without access to milk, and elderly men with cavernous rib cages. Around two dozen people have already starved to death and scores more are suffering from malnutrition.

"A lot of people are surviving on water and salt only," said a humanitarian activist in Madaya, who spoke to Al Jazeera on condition of anonymity due to security concerns. "They dissolve salt into the water just to kill the hunger pangs they are dying from. Malnourishment is killing people."

The activist said that his family was the same. His children are now in Lebanon, but he and his wife are lucky to have a meal every few days - often just a single cup of rice shared between the two of them.

"Like others, we are living on water and salt most of the time, just liquids."

Citric acid is also used to stave off hunger pangs, he said.
Starvation as a tool of war in Syria

Activists have begun documenting deaths related to the siege of Madaya, which is surrounded by landmines planted by the Syrian regime. In December, at least 22 people died from starvation, including six babies, according to the Syrian American Medical society. Mothers, often malnourished themselves, are unable to produce enough breast milk to feed their newborns.

At least four others died in landmine explosions in December, activists say, while several more residents were killed by sniper fire.

The Syrian regime announced late on Thursday that aid would soon be allowed into Madaya, but it was unclear how the aid would be delivered. Hezbollah, which has been working alongside the Syrian regime in border areas but denied responsibility for the siege, also confirmed that aid would soon be allowed in.

Ahmad Tarakji, president of the Syrian American Medical Society, which has been helping to organise the distribution of food in Madaya, said the announcement was expected. But he cautioned that similar aid deliveries in the past have been followed by mass forced displacement of civilians.

Many other areas of Syria remain under similar sieges, some having lasted for years, Dr Tarakji said.

"The starvation in Madaya is not an isolated event," he told Al Jazeera. "Many other areas in Ghouta, suburban Damascus, are under a similar siege by the Syrian government. Without a clear accountability for war crimes, all of the current ceasefire agreements will, and have been, the result of starving communities to death followed by forceful displacement of the civilians.

"This is not the way to build peace."

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) welcomed reports that the Syrian government would allow food deliveries into Madaya, but also called for "immediate life-saving delivery of medicine across the siege line".

"This is a clear example of the consequences of using siege as a military strategy," Brice de le Vingne, MSF's director of operations, said in a statement on Thursday.

"Now that the siege has tightened, the doctors we support have empty pharmacy shelves and increasing lines of starving and sick patients to treat. Medics are even resorting to feeding severely malnourished children with medical syrups, as they are the only source of sugar and energy."

For now, what little food is still available within Madaya has become cripplingly expensive, and prices continue to rise. Just over a week ago, a kilo of rice cost 40,000 Syrian pounds ($212), but today the price has skyrocketed to around 100,000 Syrian pounds ($530), activists said.

Working alongside humanitarian groups, the activist who spoke to Al Jazeera on condition of anonymity said that he had recently been helping to distribute mixed grains to the families most in need. Recently, a mother came to ask him for food for her children - but he did not even have enough food to feed himself.

"She was kneeling on the floor, begging me for food. She tried to kiss my feet, and started crying. I tried to lift her up, and cried with her," he said.

Some activists in Madaya blame not only the regime for their situation, but also the United Nations, which has been involved in brokering local ceasefires. In late December, rebel fighters withdrew from Zabadani, near Madaya, and civilians were evacuated from Fua and Kefraya, two villages in Idlib province under rebel siege. Some fighters also withdrew from Madaya.

"The wounded fighters left, but the siege never stopped," the activist in Madaya said. "The UN is the supervisor of this deal between the two sides, but they are not fulfilling their promises."[/b]

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/01/survival-madaya-living-water-salt-160108074059437.html

Syrians undergo series of horrific ordeals on daily basis and it seems the world is either fixated only on either ousting Assad or keeping him in power.

Some people will come here to praise Russia.Almost five months of defending Assad and his forces,yet it's been more chaos.No plans to restructure Syria,rehabilitate the traumatized populace.Syria needs more than just military intervention,It needs humanitarian assistance as well.I haven't seen Russia sends financial or material aids to Syria.So much for being an ally to a tyrannical government that has claimeds the lives of over 250,000 Syrians.

Please visit unhcr.org to donate what you can.No matter how small it goes a long way to help save lives.

I would have , except for the fact that just like Nigeria , the terrorists are among them

So , The terrorists are not going hungry but the populace is ?

ValerianSteel:
Syrians undergo series of horrific ordeals on daily basis and it seems the world is either fixated only on either ousting Assad or keeping him in power.

Some people will come here to praise Russia.Almost five months of defending Assad and his forces,yet it's been more chaos.No plans to restructure Syria,rehabilitate the traumatized populace.Syria needs more than just military intervention,It needs humanitarian assistance as well.I haven't seen Russia sends financial or material aids to Syria.So much for being an ally to a tyrannical government that has claimeds the lives of over 250,000 Syrians.

Please visit unhcr.org to donate what you can.No matter how small it goes a long way to help save lives.

Just like it happened in Eastern Nigeria some years back. Starvation as a war tool.

DaBullIT:
I would have , except for the fact that just like Nigeria , the terrorists are among them

So , The terrorists are not going hungry but the populace is ?

For the sake of the righteous few;Humanity must continually lend a helping hand.

The terrorists you mention have better access to food than the crippled fearful families who have been traumatized by war.

Terrorists elements will smuggle food for themselves,go lengths to even legally buy food and bring it safely to their camps.A dying populace is to weakened to scavenge for food without the risk of loosing their lives.

What are the Shites in shite towns under siege by your AMERICAN sponsored terrorists eating?

ValerianSteel:
Syrians undergo series of horrific ordeals on daily basis and it seems the world is either fixated only on either ousting Assad or keeping him in power.

Some people will come here to praise Russia.Almost five months of defending Assad and his forces,yet it's been more chaos.No plans to restructure Syria,rehabilitate the traumatized populace.Syria needs more than just military intervention,It needs humanitarian assistance as well.I haven't seen Russia sends financial or material aids to Syria.So much for being an ally to a tyrannical government that has claimeds the lives of over 250,000 Syrians.

Please visit unhcr.org to donate what you can.No matter how small it goes a long way to help save lives.

I would have called you a brain-dead duck if not for rule 2.

How dare you exonerate the U.S and putting all the blames on Russia? How many times has the U.S sent financial & material aids to syria, aside arming the terrorists in the name of ousting Assad?

Y can't all you robotic & brainwashed American zombies call a spade a spade for once? Look at Iraq, Afghanistan & Libya; those beautiful Countries would be peaceful today if America had not meddle in their affairs.

As for Syria, I think you should be more concerned about the billions that will die on both sides in the wake of WW3 which, by the way is imminent should America not call off her entirely useless covert intervention & occupation through her terrorist footsoldiers - Asshole!

Zoharariel:


I would have called you a brain-dead duck if not for rule 2.

How dare you exonerate the U.S and putting all the blames on Russia? How many times has the U.S sent financial & material aids to syria, aside arming the terrorists in the name of ousting Assad?

Y can't all you robotic & brainwashed American zombies call a spade a spade for once? Look at Iraq, Afghanistan & Libya; those beautiful Countries would be peaceful today if America had not meddle in their affairs.

As for Syria, I think you should be more concerned about the billions that will die on both sides in the wake of WW3 which, by the way is imminent should America not call off her entirely useless covert intervention & occupation through her terrorist footsoldiers - Asshole!

At times I wonder if you DHLs had your retina surgically removed by some KGB experiment cause it's rather appalling how poor your comprehension skills are.

ValerianSteel: Syrians undergo series of horrific ordeals daily and it seems the world is either fixated only on either ousting Assad or keeping him in power.

I don't think this statement of mine exonerates the US failure to do more for the Syrian populace and just cause I chose to identify Russia's ineffectiveness does not mean I exonerate the United States of anything.Talking about Syria,in case you care to know the United States government is doing more than your dumb fvck putin is doing to take care of Syrians caught up in the conflict,I don't see Russia accepting Syrian refugees,I don't see government assisted organizations.charity,NGO's from Russia in Syria at the interest of Syrians caught up in the conflict.

Put your mouth where it belongs.Please we are talking Syria here not Iraq,Afghan or Libya.You want to discuss that,open a thread for it.